Actor Matt Damon is one of the most recognized actors at the time in Hollywood. He has seen success as a writer and as an actor, breaking into the scene with his equally talented co-star and co-writer Ben Affleck in the drama Good Will Hunting. Damon has gone on to headling blockbusters such as the Bourne franchise and The Martian.
The actor also starred with an ensemble cast of George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Don Cheadle, and Julia Roberts in the heist film Ocean’s Eleven, and its sequels. Damon, in a 2004 interview, revealed how George Clooney was in real life when the cameras turned off.
Matt Damon And George Clooney In Ocean’s Eleven
Matt Damon collaborated with actor George Clooney in Steven Soderbergh’s heist film Ocean’s Eleven. The film also featured an ensemble cast of seasoned actors such as Brad Pitt, Don Cheadle, Andy Garcia, Casey Affleck, and Julia Roberts. The film spawned two more sequels, for which they all returned, and a spin-off film that starred Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett.
Clooney played the role of Daniel Ocean, the leader of the gang in the film. He teams up with his old friend Rusty Ryan, played by Pitt to get back at the casino owner who marries his ex-wife. Damon plays the role of a pickpocket named Linus who joins the team to aid them in the heist.
Damon mentioned how Clooney and Pitt were in real life when the cameras were off. In an interview with Playboy in 2004, Damon mentioned the casual vibe the actors gave off when in conversation with them, which contrasted the immense stardom they both enjoy. He said,
“They’re really regular guys. If you came from another planet and sat with them and they left the room, you would be shocked if someone told you they were the biggest stars in the world. They don’t put that out there. They don’t covet it.”
The actor also appreciated the career choices that Clooney had made in terms of choosing to do films with directors like Soderberg, the Coen Brothers, and others, as well as directing his own films.
George Clooney Gave Matt Damon Life-Altering Advice
Matt Damon, in many ways, was a wunderkind who broke into the industry in an unconventional way. Wanting to be actors, he and fellow actor Ben Affleck tried their hand at many auditions before deciding to write their own script and sell it to studios with the condition to cast them. They finally hit their goal when they were cast in Good Will Hunting, which also won them the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.
Damon and Affleck’s careers skyrocketed, with Affleck’s personal life also being highly publicized. When asked about Affleck’s public relationship with Jennifer Lopez and how his friend’s life has been under public scrutiny, Matt Damon mentioned that he admires the way Affleck handles the scrutiny by not stopping himself from doing what he wants.
He also said that George Clooney gave him advice on how to handle the fame and media scrutiny. He said,
“The first time I met George Clooney was at his house soon after Good Will Hunting, and the first thing he asked was, ‘How are you doing’. I said, ‘I’m doing okay’. After giving me some really good advice, he said, ‘Don’t let them keep you inside.’”
Damon mentioned that Clooney had actually received that advice from legendary actor Paul Newman.
